Extending my network

Welcome to the discussion area, Matthew!

+I have a new-ish Airport Extreme, plus three Airport Express units mainly used for streaming music to various rooms in my house+

If your AirPort Express devices are set up to "join" the wireless network, they are not providing any additional wireless coverage, which they are capable of doing.

Can you confirm how you have the AirPort Express devices configured at the present time?

In order to "extend", we need to make sure that all of your devices are newer "n" capable devices. If you have the "square" AirPort Extreme, it's an "n" device.

If you are not sure about the AirPort Express devices, open AirPort Utility, click on an Express on the left and look to the right for information. If you have the "n" version, there will be a statement that reads as follows:

+AirPort Utility has found an AirPort Express with 802.11n+

Another way to check is look for the Model Number in the fine print on the side of the device.

Post back with your findings.

OK, thanks. You can make use of Apple's "extend a wireless network" feature. You may not need to "extend" all of the AirPort Express devices, so do one of the AirPort Express devices and move your laptop around to see if that will provide the coverage you need.

The feature works like the hub and spokes of a wheel. The AirPort Extreme is the "hub" and each Express is at the end of a spoke. The Express devices communicate only to the "hub", not to another AirPort Express. So, in an ideal situation, your Airport Extreme would be located at a central point within the home.

Here's how to configure the AirPort Extreme (AEBS):

Temporarily, connect an ethernet cable from your Mac to one of the LAN <-> ports on the AEBS.
Open AirPort Utility - click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab below the icons
Make sure that you have a check mark next to "Allow this network to be extended"
Update to save settings
You can disconnect the ethernet cable now

Each AirPort Express is configured exactly the same way as the others, so try one first to see if that provides enough coverage. Then try the second, etc. if you need more coverage.

Temporarily, locate the AirPort Express (AX) near your computer and connect an ethernet cable from your computer to the AX

Open AirPort Utility - Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab
Wireless Mode = Extend a wireless network. If you don't see this choice, hold down the option key on your Mac while you click on the selection box
Wireless Network Name = Your AEBS Network Name
Check mark next to Allow wireless clients
Wireless Network Security = Same as your AEBS
Wireless Password = Same as your AEBS
Confirm Password

Update to save settings. Once the AX has restarted in 20-25 seconds, you can disconnect the ethernet signal and move the AX back to the location where it's needed.

Reference pages 43-44 in the Apple AirPort Networks Guide for essentially the same information.

AirTunes will still be active and the ethernet port on the AX is active as well if you need to connect a device using ethernet.

Please post back on your progress.

Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Once you have one Airport Express setup to extend, and if you want your other Airport Express devices to pickup a signal from the AirPort Express that is setup to extend, you have to unplug them from power and then restart them.

Once you have everything set, it would be a good idea to restart everything. Modem first, then the AirPort Extreme, then each AirPort Express, then your computers.